- Gonçalo Velho
Frei Gonçalo Velho Cabral, was a
15th century Portuguesemonk , explorer and settler of theAtlantic , one of the first discoverers of theAzores islands. He settled there, bringing families and cattle to the island of Santa Maria.It was believed that he had been the discoverer of the first seven Azores islands, in
1432 , until the Portuguese historianDamião Peres established the official date as1427 , after a reading of aGabriel de Valsequa nautical chart of1439 , which names a certainDiogo de Silves as their discoverer.He was granted, as hereditary fief (
Capitania ), ofSanta Maria Island andSão Miguel Island (the DonataryCapitania s ofSanta Maria Island andSão Miguel Island , being its 1st Donatary Captain).He was a son of Fernão Velho, Lord and "Alcaide" de Veleda, and wife Maria Álvares Cabral (great-aunt of
Pedro Álvares Cabral ). His siblings Álvaro Velho Cabral (married to ... and had issue), Teresa Velho Cabral (married to Fernão Soares de Albergaria, son of Álvaro Soares de Albergaria and wife and a descendant ofCharlemagne andFerdinand I of Castile , and had issue) and Violante Velho Cabral (married to Diogo Gonçalves de Travassos, son of Martim Gonçalves de Travassos and wife Catarina Dias de Melo, and had issue) also established in the Azores with their families.His sister Teresa's only child João Soares de Albergaria, a
Physician , succeeded him as the 2nd Donatary Captain of Santa Maria and the 2nd Donatary Captain of São Miguel; he married twice to Brites Godins (d.1474 ), without issue, and Branca de Sousa Falcão (daughter of João de Sousa Falcão, 1st Lord de Figueiredo and 1st Lord of the Manor de Fataúnços (descendant among others ofAfonso III of Portugal andSancho I of Portugal ), and wife Mécia Vaz de Almada of the Lords de Pereira), and by her had issue that inherited only the "Capitania" of Santa Maria.External links
* [http://www.geneall.net/P/per_page.php?id=403152 Gonçalo Velho's genealogy in a Portuguese genealogical site]
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